Protecting Yourself from Noise Induced Hearing Loss at Live Concerts

October 31, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If you have ever been at a concert and thought “This music is simply too loud,” it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve become too old for this sort of music. This reaction could be your body’s means of telling you that you are in danger of hearing impairment. If, after you’ve left the concert, and for the following few days you’ve had a ringing in your ears (tinnitus) or experienced difficulty hearing as well as usual, you may have experienced noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL.

This can happen even after brief exposures to loud noises, and occurs because high decibel sounds can result in physical damage to the very small hair cells that receive auditory signals in the interior of the ear and transmit the signals to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds. Typically, the NIHL resulting from a single exposure to very loud music or noise is short-lived, and will go away within a couple of days. However in the event that you continue to expose yourself to loud noise or music, it can cause tinnitus that doesn’t go away, or a long-term loss of hearing.

How much damage very loud music does to a person’s hearing is dependant upon a couple of things – how loud the music is, and how long you are exposed to it. Noise levels are measured on the decibel scale, which is logarithmic and therefore difficult for many people to understand; a rise of ten decibels on the scale means that the sound at the higher rating is two times as loud. Thus the noise of noisy city traffic (85 decibels) isn’t just a little bit louder than the sound of ordinary speech (65 decibels), it’s four times louder. A rock concert, at which the sound level is commonly in the range of 115 decibels, is 10 times louder than standard speech. In addition to precisely how loud the music is, the second factor that determines how much damage is done is how long you are exposed to it, the permissible exposure time. Hearing loss can occur from being exposed to sound at 85 decibels after only eight hours. In contrast, the permissible exposure time that you can be exposed to music at 115 decibels without risking hearing loss is less than one minute. Add to this the knowledge that the sound level at some concerts has been recorded at over 140 decibels, and you have a high risk predicament.

Projections from audiologists claim that by the year 2050 up to fifty million Americans will have sustained hearing loss resulting from exposure to very loud music. Bearing this in mind, many live concert promoters and concert venues have started supplying sound-baffling ear plugs to attendees for a minimal charge. One well known UK rock and roll band actually collaborated with an earplug manufacturer to offer them free of charge to people attending its concerts. Some concertgoers have reported seeing signs in the auditoriums that proclaim, “Earplugs are sexy.” Earplugs may, in fact, not be very sexy, but they could possibly save your hearing.

Any of our hearing specialists here would be pleased to supply you with information about earplugs. In case a noisy rock and roll concert is in your near future, we strongly suggest that you consider wearing a good pair.

Filed Under: Preventative Care Tagged With: , , , , , ,

On-the-Job Noise-Induced Hearing Impairment: Professions With Greater than Average Risk

August 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Could your job be contributing to your hearing impairments? Extreme noise levels are one of the most common causes of hearing damage. Worrying about your ability to hear is a natural response for anyone working at a high-noise profession.Approximately 30 million employees are at risk of hazardous noise exposure on the job according to the Centers for Disease Control.Workers in high-noise job areas must equip themselves with the specifics of occupational hearing safety and keep an open conversation with their companies.

All employees should assess their own work surroundings for high-noise levels, especially anyone in the following jobs.

  • Manufacturing – The largest number of permanent hearing losses suffered in the workplace are in manufacturing. Manufacturing industries routinely expose workers to machinery and equipment which generates upwards of 90 decibels of noise for extended period of time.
  • Construction – Construction workers rank next to the highest for permanent hearing loss disabilities suffered in the workplace. Construction equipment routinely exposes staff to heavy machinery that produces over 90 decibels. A Washington State study of construction workers discovered that in spite of being exposed to noises exceeding 85 decibels during 70 percent of their shifts, construction workers only wore ear protectors 20% of the time (or less).
  • Chemicals Industry – Exposure to certain substances (especially those that contain n-butyl alcohol, toluene, lead and carbon monoxide) has been connected to increased hearing loss by itself. These particular chemicals now known to combine with noise to cause increased hearing loss.
  • Miners – According to the Center for Disease Control, 49 percent of male miners are expected to have a hearing impairment before age 50 – versus 9 percent of the general population – rising to 70% by age 60.
  • Motorcycle Courier – Research into motorcycle noise – with and without helmets – under various driving conditions at speeds between 45 mph to 65 noted that the noise measured ranged from 70 decibels to 128 decibels.
  • DJs and Nightclub Staff – Everyone that works in a nightclub – security, wait staff, bartenders – is at risk, not just the musicians. In a controlled research study, noise levels of up to 108 decibels were recorded in the nightclubs. The average noise level for a typical nightclub outing was 96 decibels which is over the noise level at which the provision of hearing protection is required for employers in industry. The study concluded that Disc Jockeys are at substantial risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and sound exposure in nightclubs frequently exceeds safe levels.
  • Musicians – Across practices, studio recording and performances, musicians are constantly engulfed in sound. The list of famed music artists with permanent hearing problems or tinnitus keeps growing each and every year. Well known artists on the current list include Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Young, Phil Collins, George Martin, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
  • Band & Orchestra – A study on the noise exposures of classical musicians experienced during both performances and rehearsals found that the brass section averaged 95 decibels while the strings and brass section averaged 90 decibels. Top volumes were 130 decibels in the percussion and brass sections. A different Swedish research project showed that 59 out of 139 orchestra musicians had hearing losses greater than that normal for their ages.
  • Airport Staff – The noise of an airplane engine is one of the loudest auditory occupational hazards, with noise levels at a shocking 140 decibels.
  • Firefighters and Paramedics – All those sirens squealing add up over time. Several research studies have examined the frequency of hearing disabilities in firefighters and emergency vehicle drivers with most concluding that firefighters suffer increased hearing loss relative to the general public of the same age.
  • Military – Noise-induced hearing loss is the number one disability among US military personnel. According to the Deafness Research Foundation, over 65 percent of combat troops returning from Afghanistan are afflicted by noise-induced hearing loss.
  • Plumbers – The CDC website states that 48% of plumbers reported that they had a perceived hearing loss.
Filed Under: Hearing Loss Tagged With: , , , ,

Tinnitus in Your Ears? Music Can Help You

June 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Sound is an integral part of our world, but like most things, its impact on us depends on both the quality of the sounds we hear, and the quantity of them. Listening to music can be soothing and relaxing, but it can also be annoying and irritating if the volume is excessive.

When it comes to music and other sounds, quality is subjective, one that depends on individual preferences; the quantity of it (as measured by volume, in decibels), however, is incredibly objective, and can be measured. We know that when people are exposed to very loud sounds or music above a specific decibel level for prolonged amounts of time, those sounds can harm the miniature hair cells in our ears, and cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). It has been estimated that in our raucous society, as many as one in five Americans have developed some amount of tinnitus (a constant ringing in the ears) or other forms of hearing loss as the result of NIHL. Even muted sounds below 10 decibels (half the volume of a whisper) may cause stress and anxiety if you are exposed to them long enough; have you ever been kept awake at night by the sound of a dripping faucet or ticking clock?

But despite the fact that sound can be a cause of stress and hearing damage, it can also be a tool to treat the effects of hearing damage. Many people have experienced the soothing effects of soft music, the relaxing sound of falling water or ocean surf, or the meditative sounds of chanting or Tibetan singing bowls. Increasingly, these types of sounds are being used by psychologists to treat anxiety rather than create it, and by audiologists to treat hearing problems such as tinnitus rather than cause them. In hospitals and clinical situations, music therapy has been successfully used to accelerate recovery from operations, to aid stroke victims during their recovery, and to impede the development of Alzheimer’s dementia. People have successfully used white noise generators (which create a blend of frequencies similar to the sound of ocean surf) to help people conquer insomnia and sleep disorders, and to reduce their perceived awareness of background sounds in noisy environments.

More specifically related to hearing loss, sound and music therapy is being used more and more to treat tinnitus by creating what specialists call a threshold shift, which allows tinnitus patients to psychologically disguise the constant buzzing or ringing sounds they hear. By using specialized tones or carefully chosen music tracks, hearing specialists have been able to teach tinnitus patients to retrain their minds to choose the sounds they want to hear over the ringing sounds caused by the tinnitus. It’s not as if the ringing disappears; it’s more that the music therapy has allowed them to focus their attention somewhere else, and thus no longer feel the anxiety and stress that tinnitus causes.

For tinnitus sufferers seeking new remedies, music therapy is worth looking at. Give us a call to go over your specific situation.

Filed Under: Tinnitus Tagged With: , , , ,

Why is My Ability to Hear Getting Steadily Worse?

December 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is one of the questions we are asked most often. There are many reasons why you could have experienced some hearing loss, but the most important thing to know is that if you have, you are not alone – 22 million Americans have some degree of impaired hearing, and 10 million of them qualify as having hearing loss, as defined by having difficulty hearing normal conversations.

There are many possible causes of hearing loss, but the most common is age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, which is caused by simply getting older. Over time, the nerves and hair cells of the inner ear become damaged and begin to degenerate, making it more difficult to hear high-pitched sounds such as the sounds of women’s or children’s voices, or to be able to distinguish between consonants like S, T, K, P, and F.

The second most frequent cause of hearing loss is known as acoustic trauma or noise-induced hearing loss (NIMH), and happens when you have been exposed repeatedly to loud noises. Unlike age-related hearing NIHL can be experienced by anyone. This hearing loss can occur from over exposure to loud music or machinery like motorcycles or mowers. These are both examples of what is called sensorineural hearing loss, and although these conditions can rarely be reversed or eliminated, they can easily be treated using hearing aids to amplify and filter the sounds you hear.

Conductive hearing loss is different, and is characterized by a blockage in the ear canal that prevents sound from reaching the eardrum; the most common cause of this is the most easily treated and reversed, a buildup of ear wax. Conductive hearing loss can also be the result of fluid in the middle ear, or by an abnormal bone formation in the ear called otosclerosis. This causes the inner ear to be less effective at transmitting and receiving sounds.

Hearing loss can also occur as a result of exposure to certain medications, such as antibiotics and some drugs used to treat cancer, and as a result of infections of the middle ear or ear canal. Disease can also create hearing loss: Meniere’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, acoustic neuroma (non cancerous tumors on the bones of the middle ear), and stroke can all create conditions in the ear where hearing is damaged.

The best advice we can give you if you suspect you are losing your hearing is to make an appointment to have your hearing tested, so that we may advise you as to possible causes of the condition, and how best to treat it. Don’t suffer with hearing loss that gets worse over time; improve your quality of life by consulting a professional today.

Filed Under: Hearing Loss Tagged With: , , , , , ,

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